Drink drive solicitor banned

A SOLICITOR specialising in road traffic offences drove his badly damaged Audi convertible while twice over the alcohol limit. Ian Owen was seen staggering about after getting out of the car and at first refused to give police his personal details or confirm he had been driving the vehicle.

He was disqualified from driving for 18 months, fined £600 with £60 costs and ordered to pay the £15 victims' surcharge by magistrates at Blackpool, Lancs.

Prosecutor Martine Connah, said that on May 30 at 3.30am a door security officer at the Club Sanuk nightclub saw a black Audi convertible, which had severe damage to its front end, being parked on Springfield Road, North Shore, Blackpool. The car was making a hissing noise.

Owen got out, locked the car and staggered into a nearby alley. The doorman believed he was drunk and flagged down a passing police patrol.

The prosecutor said: "The defendant refused to give his personal details or confirm that he had been driving the car."

A breath test showed Owen was twice over the limit with 70 micrograms of alcohol in his body - 35 is the limit.

Owen, who had no previous convictions, at first said there was little he wanted to say in open court and handed in a statement of mitigation for magistrates to read.

When the Press objected and said that was tantamount to the court sitting in private and that his statement should either be read out or a copy be given to the Press, Owen replied: "The mitigation I have put forward is for the magistrates, not for the recreation of others."

He then agreed to say something in open court. He told magistrates: "I'm utterly ashamed at being here. It is acutely embarrassing. This will never happen again."